Judging Summary

The CPA expects that solo piping judges in Scotland are suitably qualified and experienced for the level that they are judging at. For professional piping competitions, this means that judges should either be selected from the Judges List as approved by the the Solo Piping Judges Association (SPJA), or from the CPA's Supplementary Judges List, consisting of Senior competing pipers still active in competition.

The main purpose of the SPJA is to manage the list of 'Approved Judges' that is recognised as having the status and ability to judge solo piping competitions, certainly in Scotland, and we would like to think the rest of the world. The CPA is a member of the Joint Committee for Solo Piping Competitions (JCSPC), alongside representation from the SPJA, the major competition organisers in the UK and the Piobaireachd Society. This is an umbrella body to provide a suitable forum for discussion between the CPA, judges and competition organisers

The CPA supports the Approved List and the process behind it. If someone wants to judge solo piping competitions in the UK that have the endorsement of the CPA, they ideally need to be on the list. We are actively consulted in confidence by the SPJA for feedback as they determine the grading of judges within the list.

The Approved List and the process for joining the Approved List are included in separate sections on the judging section of the CPA website.

The CPA would like to see certification of judges introduced as a prerequisite for all new appointments.

As an organisation, CPA will do all that it can to influence all solo piping competitions in Scotland to use the Approved List or Senior graded pipers to judge solo piping competitions. Most of the competitions in Scotland do use judges on the list. There are some that do not, but these are few and far between, and in the main are generally minor competitions.

The CPA has compiled a Supplementary List of Senior level competing pipers who we would be happy to see judging major piping competitions up to B grade level. This is intended to relieve pressure on Senior Judges, allowing them to focus on higher level events at major competitions. Members of the Supplementary List are graded Premier in both Piobaireachd and Light Music. The CPA supports the qualification of active competing pipers who are Premier graded players to judge up to B grade level events at any major competition, subject to confirmation by the SPJA that they have met the standard required to judge at this level.